Looking for signs and not seeing them and then being told we missed signs that were indistinguishable from being polite is just part of being a man. So is being told off because you read signs that previous women said were their signs, but weren't for someone else.
The best skill a man can have is being able to ask if there is a slight chance while being ready to casually accept rejection, because hints are so inconsistent from person to person and men are expected to initiate.